5 Teams Tried to Lure a Retired Goalie Back—Were Oilers Among Them?

The NHL’s thin goaltending market has led to an unexpected twist. According to active player agent Allan Walsh, five teams reportedly reached out to now-retired netminder Marc-André Fleury to see if he would consider un-retiring. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer officially ended his 21-year career with the Minnesota Wild in May 2025, but the ongoing shortage of goaltending options in free agency has teams exploring unconventional options.

Fleury has postponed retirement a couple of times, so these five teams might be thinking he’d be easily convinced to give it one more run.

How thin is the NHL goalie market? Five teams tried to convince Marc-André Fleury to come out of retirement!#AgentProvocateur @walsha @adamwylde pic.twitter.com/doIo14ZoZU

— sdpn (@sdpnsports) July 4, 2025

While it’s unclear which teams reached out, speculation has naturally turned to the Edmonton Oilers. While prepared to go into the 2025-26 season with their tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, they are actively looking to upgrade their goaltending situation. Fleury makes sense for them.

The Oilers reached back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals and fell just short. A chance for Fleury to go on a run might be enticing, and if the Oilers could sign him to a one-year, bonus-heavy deal, it could be a win-win for everyone. However, Walsh, who represents Fleury, says the goaltender has made it clear he’s retired… for now.

General manager Stan Bowman might want to keep himself aprised of the situation with Fleury. Could the veteran and former Cup winner change his mind? The Oilers have signed free agents mid-season before (Corey Perry, John Klingberg, Evander Kane). This wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for them.

Fans Believe the Oilers Were Among the Teams Talking to Fleury

Fans chimed in online with comments like, “Oilers were all 5,” and “Serious question, doesn’t Fleury still have enough gas in the tank to get the Oilers over the hump?” Other teams could also use goaltending help, but the Oilers are in the spotlight, considering their ranking as contenders, and the goaltending has been a topic of public discussion.

As for what it would take to get Fleury out of retirement, that much is unclear. His contract would be tied to performance and games-played bonuses, but Walsh said he got some pretty lucrative offers from teams that were told the goalie hadn’t changed his mind about leaving the game.

Next: Oilers’ Trade for Top U.S. College Star Falls Apart—For Now